Q: I am a big fan of daevid allen and The Gong. I have a question, I would like to know which kind of squeaky sound is it at the very end of the song DEATH ROCK, just before early crows rooster. Could it be birds or mice? Please, pay my deep regards to daevid and thank You for Your answer. Love - Marek in Prague, 2010-10-24

A: AND THE ANSWER IS: huge magnificent mice with twinkling eyes and tiny spanish mustaches PLUS tiny microscopic birds called "bragas" who gather round drones whenever they are played. They were recorded by reel to reel UHER portable tape machine and a pashtenko 303 tube microphone with a very long lead. (I trust this sounds believable) Cheers, daevid

"Takes a lot of ingenuitea to get through the day…" - daevid, 2010-11-08

Q: "…why couldn't/shouldn't Gong exist eternally and carry on after the original folks have gone on? That Gong would survive as an entrusted legacy to those who remain and continue to carry the message that was daevid's seed vision all those years ago? Gong should live on as functioning organism beyond the confines of life and death. More of a rebirth, if you will." - Donald in Raleigh

Anecdotal

daevid,

In the whirlwind of life after childhood I was somehow lucky enough to have picked up on the transmission from planet Gong as if by divination. I read in your recent message that "I can only hope that during this journey, I have somehow contributed to the happiness in the lives of a few other fellow humans."

I suddenly felt it very important to tell you that your spirit, your creations, your essence has permeated me so deeply that I feel very close to you. Your music sounds like me, it's a part of me. I am without a doubt a resident of the beautiful smoky planet.

As an artist and musician, I've been learning from you, not only stylistically but spiritually. Seemingly out of my control, my expressions in music and drawing have become unmistakeable continuations of your mythology and creative spirit.

I hope you can take solace in the fact that you've created something much larger than yourself that continues to grow.

I love you, daevid. I love you so much. I tearfully thank you for allowing yourself to do what you've done, and in turn allowing me to participate.

If you get this, please let me know, it'd be very nice to know that you got this message.

<3 just another pothead pixie (Ryan, 2015-02-05)

Dear daevid

I took so much time to tell you how much you took great importance in my life. When you were in France I saw the very beginning of Gong in strange places, as schools or some stuff like that.

You were living very close to my village Voisines in the big house aux Hay, I remembered Didier blowing his soprano in fields, making running cows, which they were not crazy at this time. I always would like to speak to you, but I was so impressed to see you and all the band in the Grande Rue of this village, my village, I cannot believe it was you.

I became musician (piano player) because of you, and Soft Machine and Magma and so and so. I went to jazz after, but I always keep in my heart the madness of Camembert électrique and Flying Teapot etc. I told the same to Hugh Hopper when I saw him in Paris.

So what to say more, just I'm with you and thank you so much, so much for happiness joy fun freedom a way of life, a way of thinking, it opened me towards art, movies, philosophy, creation and so much, and to became musician. You participate to it.

…wanted to send a message to say that daevid will always be a big hero to me. I've found his guitar playing and person to be a great inspiration, one million plus zero!

I hung out one night with daevid, Hugh Hopper and Pip Pyle. I'll never forget that night as I had to tell Hugh how much I thought that Soft Machine 2 was one of the greatest albums ever. daevid's glissando guitar style always blew me away and still an inspiration to my playing to this day!